Advocacy for Catholic schools returns funds for mandates

by PATRICK J. BUECHI

Tue, Jan 31st 2017 03:00 pm

Staff Reporter

New York has reimbursed Buffalo Catholic elementary schools about $2.4 million to fund state mandates. (WNYC File Photo)

Persistence pays off for Catholic schools - to the tune of $6
million. Advocacy from the NYS Catholic Conference State Coordinating Committee, Catholic school
staff and parents has caused New York state to agree to modify the formula used to reimburse
all state non-public schools for mandated services those schools provide.

In 2002, New York mandated that all
schools in the state take part in a Comprehensive Attendance Policy. The
nine-point policy includes: taking
attendance throughout the day; follow-up phone calls when students are missing;
incentives and disincentives for attendance issues; and conferences to follow
up with problem scenarios.

"Basically,
the whole thing is to encourage attendance and make sure the kids come to
school, because they can't learn if they're not in school," said Christian
Riso, assistant superintendent of Catholic Schools, in charge of Government
Programs for the diocese, and a member of the State Coordinating Committee.

The NYS Catholic Conference State Coordinating Committee, made up of
representatives from all New York dioceses, meets to discuss both federal and
state legislation that affect Catholic schools, then, following the lead of the
bishops, establishes statewide action related to advocacy regarding existing,
pending and potential legislation.

When
New York implemented the policy, the state budget did not account for non-public
schools. These schools pay staff to oversee the attendance policy and other
mandated services such as various test assessments; reporting basic education
data systems; an immunization program; and pesticide notifications, among
others. Non-public schools are supposed to receive reimbursements for the cost
of implementing state mandates if they meet the requirements of the mandates
and file the proper paperwork.

"The
Comprehensive Attendance Policy was a new law and required new funding because
they didn't think about the fact that we would be doing that mandate as well.
So when they put the law into place, they didn't really have the funding to pay
for it. They didn't plan ahead. They didn't realize that non-public schools
were going to be doing that same thing," Riso explained.

For example, in a November 2014 notice
to public schools, the NYS Department of Education admitted that CAP claims
exceeded estimated funding, thus they reimbursed schools only 77.25 percent of
claims. Riso points to the
economic recession of 2007-2009 and "bad formulas" to determine reimbursements
as the reason for the insufficient funding available.

Through
advocacy and a never-let-it-slide attitude, the State Coordinating Committee urged
that the funds be put into the budget so the schools would receive the
reimbursements owed to them. The 2015 state budget began a two-year process of
paying back the claims made by the individual schools. A total of $250 million is
being paid out statewide. Elementary schools in the Diocese of Buffalo have
already received $2,373,123, and area high schools received $3,960,724 in reimbursements
since September 2015. Each school must file a claim to receive its share.

"Every
year, I'm sure, since 2003, the State Coordinating Committee, meets with members
of the NYS legislature to ask for the things that we believe are due to our
Catholic schools, especially this back debt. They never denied that they owed these
funds to us, it was just a matter of putting it into the budget and clarifying
the formula," Riso said, adding, "These are just the funds that
were paid back so far, and only the funds from September 2015 through today,"
explained Riso. "There were other payments of funds owed to our schools for the same reason
paid prior to September 2015 and there are additional amounts still owed to us
that will be paid out in the future."

The
Diocese of Buffalo closed 10 parish elementary schools after the 2013-2014
school year. These parishes will receive their reimbursements as well. In the
case of high schools, their governing institutions will be reimbursed. The
Department of Catholic Schools still works with closed schools to get their
money back to them.

"It
affects the parish when a school has to take on debt. It's not just the school,
it's the whole parish. We're glad to be able to give that back. We can't be
thankful enough for what the parishioners do for our schools. The parishioners
are the ones funding our Catholic schools. Tuition is only a part of it," Riso
said.

At
a recent principals' meeting, Riso asked how they would use the funds. Someone
yelled out, "To pay bills!"

"That
seems to be the prevailing sentiment on how the funds will be used," he said.